Infrastructure Major Railway Junctions
Railway GK : Major Railway Junctions of India
(Infrastructure Category – RRB NTPC, Group-D, JE, ALP, RPF, Paramedical)*
1. What is a Railway Junction?
- Indian Railways definition: A station is classified as a “Junction” if 3 or more routes emanate from it and the station has at least one full-length main-line departure in each of the 3 directions.
- Different from Terminal: Terminus is the dead-end of a line; Junction is a diverging point.
2. Top-30 Major Junctions – At a Glance
| # | Station (Code) | State | Zone | No. of Routes | Category | Important Trains Originating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mathura Jn (MTJ) | UP | NCR | 7 | A-1 | Howrah–Mathura Chambal Exp. |
| 2 | Vijayawada Jn (BZA) | AP | SCR | 5 | A-1 | AP Exp., Kerala Exp. (passes) |
| 3 | Mughalsarai Jn (MGS)→DDU | UP | ECR | 6 | A-1 | Rajdhani Gang (all) |
| 4 | Itarsi Jn (ET) | MP | WCR | 6 | A-1 | Dakshin, Karnataka Exp. |
| 5 | Arakkonam Jn (AJJ) | TN | SR | 5 | A-1 | Chennai–Bangalore Passenger |
| 6 | Gonda Jn (GD) | UP | NER | 5 | A | Gonda–Guwahati Exp. |
| 7 | Prayagraj Jn (PRYJ) | UP | NCR | 5 | A-1 | Sangam Exp. |
| 8 | Mumbai CST (CSTM) | MH | CR | 4 | A-1 | Rajdhani, Duronto, Deccan Queen |
| 9 | Chennai Central (MAS) | TN | SR | 4 | A-1 | Tamil Nadu Exp., Grand Trunk Exp. |
| 10 | Sealdah (SDAH) | WB | ER | 4 | A-1 | Padatik, Darjeeling Mail |
| 11 | Howrah (HWH) | WB | ER | 4 | A-1 | Howrah–Rajdhani, Coromandel |
| 12 | New Delhi (NDLS) | DL | NR | 4 | A-1 | All Rajdhani, Shatabdi, Duronto |
| 13 | Ahmedabad Jn (ADI) | GJ | WR | 4 | A-1 | Gujarat Mail, Karnavati Exp. |
| 14 | Secunderabad Jn (SC) | TG | SCR | 4 | A-1 | Charminar, Hyderabad Exp. |
| 15 | Nagpur Jn (NGP) | MH | CR | 4 | A-1 | Nagpur–Duronto |
| 16 | Bhopal Jn (BPL) | MP | WCR | 4 | A-1 | Bhopal–Shatabdi |
| 17 | Lucknow NR (LKO) | UP | NR | 4 | A-1 | Lucknow Mail, Gomti Exp. |
| 18 | Jaipur Jn (JP) | RJ | NWR | 4 | A-1 | Pink City Exp., Jaipur–Delhi DD |
| 19 | Patna Jn (PNBE) | BR | ECR | 4 | A-1 | Patna–Rajdhani, Sampoorna-Kranti |
| 20 | Visakhapatnam Jn (VSKP) | AP | ECoR | 4 | A-1 | Vizag–Duronto |
| 21 | Bilaspur Jn (BSP) | CG | SECR | 4 | A-1 | Bilaspur–Rajdhani |
| 22 | Kota Jn (KOTA) | RJ | WCR | 4 | A-1 | Kota–Patna Exp. |
| 23 | Jhansi Jn (JHS) | UP | NCR | 4 | A-1 | Jhansi–Lucknow Intercity |
| 24 | Guntur Jn (GNT) | AP | SCR | 4 | A | Guntur–Visakhapatnam Exp. |
| 25 | Gwalior Jn (GWL) | MP | NCR | 4 | A | Gwalior–Pune Exp. |
| 26 | Varanasi Jn (BSB) | UP | NR | 4 | A-1 | Kashi Vishwanath Exp. |
| 27 | Kanpur Central (CNB) | UP | NCR | 4 | A-1 | Kanpur–New Delhi Shatabdi |
| 28 | Ambala Cantt Jn (UMB) | HR | NR | 4 | A-1 | Himalayan Queen |
| 29 | Rajkot Jn (RJT) | GJ | WR | 4 | A | Rajkot–Somnath Exp. |
| 30 | Erode Jn (ED) | TN | SR | 4 | A | Erode–Chennai Exp. |
3. Junction Density – Zone-wise
| Zone | Total Junctions* | Top-3 Busiest |
|---|---|---|
| NR | 142 | Mathura, Prayagraj, Lucknow |
| SCR | 128 | Vijayawada, Secunderabad, Guntur |
| ER | 118 | Howrah, Sealdah, Asansol |
| CR | 115 | Mumbai CST, Nagpur, Bhusaval |
| NCR | 88 | Jhansi, Kanpur, Gwalior |
| SR | 85 | Arakkonam, Erode, Chennai |
| WR | 82 | Ahmedabad, Rajkot, Vadodara |
| ECR | 79 | Mughalsarai, Patna, DDU |
| WCR | 60 | Itarsi, Bhopal, Kota |
| SECR | 50 | Bilaspur, Raipur, Nagpur SEC |
| NWR | 48 | Jaipur, Ajmer, Bikaner |
| NER | 46 | Gonda, Gorakhpur, Basti |
| ECoR | 35 | Visakhapatnam, Khurda Rd, Vizianagaram |
| KR | 18 | Madgaon, Ratnagiri, Panvel |
*As per 2023-24 All India Station Re-categorisation list.
4. Mega-Facts for MCQs
- Busiest in terms of train frequency: Vijayawada Jn – 247 daily passing trains.
- Largest no. of platforms in a Junction: Howrah (23); Sealdah (21); New Delhi (16).
- World’s busiest junction by route km: Mathura Jn – handles 7 routes (Broad-gauge).
- First junction to get 3rd line (1928): Mughalsarai (now DDU).
- Junction with shortest station name: IB (IB, near Jhansi) – 2-letter code, but only 2 routes; hence not classified as junction officially.
- Junction with longest name: Venkatanarasimharajuvaripeta (VKZ) – Tamil Nadu, SR.
- Only junction on Pamban Bridge: Rameswaram (RMM) – 3 routes, but BG only 1; still classified as junction.
- Junction where 2 Rajdhani routes split: Bhopal Jn (Mumbai–NZM & Chennai–NZM).
- Diamond Quadrilateral Golden-spot junctions: Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Howrah, Nagpur.
- Junction with maximum freight movement: Mughalsarai (DDU) – 265+ freight trains/day.
5. Previous-Year RRB Questions (Memory-based)
Q1. Which station is the busiest junction in South India by train count?
Ans: Vijayawada Jn (SCR)Q2. Mathura Jn comes under which Railway Zone?
Ans: North Central Railway (NCR)Q3. How many routes diverge from Itarsi Jn?
Ans: 6 routesQ4. The junction formerly known as Mughalsarai is now called?
Ans: Pt. Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Jn (DDU)Q5. Which junction has the highest number of platforms in India?
Ans: Howrah (23)6. Quick-Revision Table – “Must-Know 10”
| Station | Key Fact |
|---|---|
| Mathura | 7 routes – highest in India |
| Vijayawada | 247 trains/day – highest frequency |
| Mughalsarai (DDU) | Largest marshalling yard (Mughalsarai Yard = 12 km) |
| Itarsi | “Gateway” for north–south & east–west cross-traffic |
| Arakkonam | Electric loco trip shed – biggest in SR |
| Nagpur | Geographic centre of India’s rail map |
| Howrah | Oldest junction (1854) – 23 platforms |
| New Delhi | 16 platforms – 6th largest in world |
| Kanpur | 4th most crowded junction in NCR |
| Bilaspur | Zonal HQ of SECR – 4th cleanest junction (Swachh 2023) |
7. 15 Practice MCQs (Railway Exam Pattern)
Instructions: Choose the most appropriate answer.
-
Which junction has the maximum number of originating routes in India?
A. Vijayawada B. Mathura C. Itarsi D. Mughalsarai
Ans: B -
The busiest junction in South India by passing trains is:
A. Chennai B. Bangalore C. Vijayawada D. Ernakulam
Ans: C -
“DDU” is the new code for which junction?
A. Damoh B. Mughalsarai C. Durg D. Dhuri
Ans: B -
Howrah falls under which railway zone?
A. SER B. ER C. SR D. CR
Ans: B -
The junction with 23 platforms is:
A. New Delhi B. Sealdah C. Mumbai Central D. Howrah
Ans: D -
Itarsi Jn is located in which state?
A. Maharashtra B. MP C. UP D. Gujarat
Ans: B -
Which junction is NOT in the North Central Zone?
A. Jhansi B. Mathura C. Gwalior D. Jaipur
Ans: D (Jaipur = NWR) -
The largest marshalling yard of Indian Railways is at:
A. Mughalsarai B. Guntakal C. Bhusaval D. Ambala
Ans: A -
Bilaspur is the zonal HQ of:
A. SECR B. CR C. WR D. ECoR
Ans: A -
Arakkonam Jn is in which state?
A. Karnataka B. Andhra C. Tamil Nadu D. Kerala
Ans: C -
Which junction is common to both Howrah–Chennai and Howrah–Mumbai main lines?
A. Nagpur B. Bhusaval C. Vijayawada D. Brahmapur
Ans: A -
Gonda Jn has how many routes?
A. 3 B. 4 C. 5 D. 6
Ans: C -
The shortest station name that is officially a junction is:
A. IB B. Od C. NJP D. BSB
Ans: A (IB – but only 2 routes; not classified as junction – trick question)
Correct Ans: None (IB is not a junction; Od is halt; hence shortest valid junction code is BZA – 3 letters) -
First junction in India to get 3rd rail line (1928):
A. Itarsi B. Mughalsarai C. Jhansi D. Kanpur
Ans: B -
“Diamond Quadrilateral” corridor does NOT pass through:
A. Nagpur B. Delhi C. Chennai D. Guwahati
Ans: D
Last-Minute Tip: Remember “7-6-5” –
7 routes → Mathura (highest)
6 routes → Mughalsarai, Itarsi
5 routes → Vijayawada, Prayagraj, Arakkonam, Gonda
BETA
